


The Taller They Are..

by burningcas



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur's Pride Takes a Hit, Fluff, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Merlin's Magic Is Secret, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-24 02:03:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16171352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burningcas/pseuds/burningcas
Summary: Merlin thinks he's taller than Arthur. Arthur won't have any of that.





	The Taller They Are..

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who has two thumbs and rewatched Merlin!
> 
> Anyways, I wrote this just to get back into the swing of writing after a long hiatus, so pardon any mistakes. 
> 
> This can be read as shippy or not, whichever you want. Tbh I have no idea if Merlin is actually taller than Arthur, it could just be his floofy hair. 
> 
> This was not beta read.

“I’m taller than you.”

 

The words were not meant to be said, uttered through unaware lips. What was supposed to be a fleeting thought would now turn into another one of the royal’s tantrums.

 

Merlin had not himself realized he had said it until Arthur pulled back the reins on his horse, stuttering it to a stop. The king sat there a moment, his face twisted to the forest edge in front of him. Merlin stopped his horse alongside Arthur’s peering into the forest, trying to see what he was looking at.

 

“What did you just say?” the blond king asked, still facing forward.

 

Merlin looked to him, a brow quirking up. “I didn’t say anything.”

 

“Yes, you did. Something about  _ you _ being  _ taller _ than me?”

 

_ Oh. _

 

Arthur crossed his hands and turned his head to look at the sorcerer, as if daring him to say it again. Merlin put on his best innocent face and returned the look. “What about it?”

 

“You are not taller than me,  _ Mer _ lin, I am a king!” 

 

“So? People can be taller than kings.”

 

“Besides!  _ You  _ are certainly not taller than me,” Arthur continued, seemingly to not have listened to Merlin’s quip. He watched the king unconsciously sit straighter, peer his head up, and look down at Merlin the best he can.

 

“Hmm, I’m pretty sure I am, sire.” Merlin fought back his shiteating grin and waited for the fuse to finally blow. It was a hobby of the sorcerer to see what buttons he could push, but this one was completely unintentional. He must be getting too good at it.

 

Arthur’s face flattened, knowing all too well the tone of that “sire” to know it was far from a sign of respect. 

 

“You’re probably just on a hill, or maybe you’ve hit your head one to many times again. Either way, you are not taller than me.” Arthur tapped his heels into his ride’s side and puttered into a walk once more. Merlin grinned after him, following suit.

 

“Why does that bother you so much?” Merlin prodded.

 

“Because it’s ridiculous, just like everything else you say,” Arthur returned, not looking back at him. They crossed into the tree line.

 

“Doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

 

Arthur yanked the reins and jumped from his mount all in one fluid motion. He stomped off, drawing his sword. Merlin watched him, from his own stationary position, walk over to a thick trunked tree and turn around. The king stood there next to the tree, sword drawn, glaring more sharp weapons at Merlin.

 

“Come here,” he growled.

 

“I’d be more inclined if you weren’t looking at me like that while armed.”

 

“ _ Merlin _ .”

 

The one in question stifled an eye roll and slid off his saddle. He wasn’t actually afraid of Arthur, but the idea that he had finally snapped from Merlin’s sass did cross his mind. Merlin plodded over to the steaming king, leaving their mounts behind. 

 

Once he was within arm’s reach, an armored hand reached out and grabbed the front of Merlin’s shirt, placing him rather roughly backside against the tree. Arthur continued holding him there, and raised the drawn sword in his hand, point facing Merlin.

 

Merlin watched, slightly frozen in place as Arthur continued to raise the sword until he felt the broadside of the steel lay on the top of his head. He watched the king’s face as Arthur dug the sword point into the bark above Merlin’s head and carve as straight of a line as he could. The sorcerer could feel Arthur’s exerted breath on his face.

 

As quick as he was shoved against the tree, Merlin was torn from it. Stumbling to catch his balance, he turned around to see Arthur take his place. Arthur flipped the sword around, catching it to lay blade side in his hand, the hilt out in front of him. Merlin raised his eyebrows.

 

“Trusting, aren’t we?” The hilt hit Merlin in the stomach as a response. Grabbing the sword from the crabby king, he walked closer until he could reach a hand to the top of Arthur’s head. Trying to actually be careful, Merlin cautiously raised the sword and laid it to the top of Arthur’s head, and dug it into the trunk of the tree.

 

Before Merlin took the sword away, Arthur ducked out from underneath it to be able to see the results of his little test. Arthur’s face seemed to collapse in on itself while Merlin’s broke open with a grin.

 

The proof was in the wood; the carving Arthur had made was in fact higher up than the position of Merlin’s sword. It was a short distance, but a distance it was. 

 

“You did it wrong!” Arthur accused, expression flaming at Merlin. The accused shrugged, a look a fake sympathy on his face.

 

“Or maybe I was just right.”

 

“No. You know what? We’ll solve this with an unbiased party.” Arthur swiped the sword out of Merlin’s hand and sheathing it before spinning around and stomping back to where their mounts remained.

 

“But what about your hunting trip-”

 

“There will still be deer in the forest, Merlin,” Arthur called back behind him. Rolling his eyes, Merlin ran to mount his horse and keep up.

 

\---+---

 

Familiar arguing voices echoed down the stone hall until they were muffled behind the door. Said door burst open to reveal a still armoured Arthur and a tailing Merlin in each other’s faces, trapped in another one of their mild rivalries. 

 

Gaius looked up from his counter of bubbling experiments at the commotion, about the chastise the two young men from destroying his stuff, but was interrupted.

 

“Gaius, do you have something to measure with?” Arthur stopped mid argument with Merlin to direct his question to the medic.

 

“Of course I do, what is-”

 

“Good. Measure us.”

 

It was silent between the three of them for a solid beat.

 

“Excuse me?” Gaius inquired, really trying to figure out what was going on.

 

“ _ Merlin  _ thinks that he’s taller than me-”

 

“ _ Which I am. _ ”

 

“And I’m going to prove to him that he’s wrong.”

 

Gaius was quiet, slyly giving a  _ look _ to Merlin. He put down what he was doing, extinguishing any flames and wandered over to a basket sitting underneath a cluttered table. From the basket, he produced a ball of twine and a couple of pins. He made his way over to one of the wooden posts supporting the library’s balcony. Arthur and Merlin watched on in curious silence from where they stood.

 

“Sire,” Gaius invited. Arthur and Merlin walked over, the king going over to stand straight-backed against the post. Gaius placed the end of the twine behind Arthur’s ankles and pulled it taught along his height. At the top of his head, he placed a pin, pinning the twine against the post. Afterwards, he called over Merlin and repeated the process, marking his height over to the side from Arthur’s, keeping the twine in one piece.

 

Gaius assessed the two pins on the post while both Arthur and Merlin watched on in silent anticipation.

 

“Well,” he started, “I believe the Merlin is correct this time, sire,” Gaius looked over to the two.

 

Arthur threw his hands up in unintentional defeat, Merlin giving him a grin. 

 

“Not a word,” he directed to his servant and stormed out. Merlin watched him leave before looking back to his mentor.

 

“Thanks, Gaius,” he said in place of Arthur. Gaius responded with a knowing smile and nod and watched the young warlock bound out of the door after his king.

**Author's Note:**

> Will I ever figure out how to end a story? Probably not.


End file.
